Potential Conflict

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Ten minutes ago , two USAF 130s on their regular run around North-East Norfolk. Likewise several large flocks of flighting Pink-footed Geese at much the same height.

[SpringHeeledJack]

Who won ?

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Well the C130s were around for a couple of hours more but I didn't hear or see any more skeins of geese - guess they were at their roost. The Pink-foots start to arrive for the Winter in early September and numbers increase in North Norfolk over the months - for example in December 2019 their numbers peaked here at just over 113,000. These C130's twilight activities are centered on the old airfield at Sculthorpe and have been pretty regular the past few weeks - more so than in previous years. This evening the first C130 flights by our house in north-east Norfolk were off the sea at about 700-800ft above ground level - roughly north-east to south-west while at the same time the geese were flighting at much the same height if not a little higher from the south-east to the north-west.

[SpringHeeledJack]

It must be problematic for both sides, geese have been roosting, flying, transiting for thousands of years and the (US) military has carte blanche to operate at all times within certain areas to practice their craft for when it is required.

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Yes indeed I quite agree. I would think the chances of a bird-strike are pretty low. These C130s tend to first appear here at fairly low levels early evening before darkness has fallen which coincides with the period of the Pink-foots' evening flight. The Geese tend to fly at any heights up to about 1000 feet. I saw an interesting distribution map which I'll try and find and post shortly.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/943x840/screenshot_2022_09_29_at_09_58_24_mapping_feeding_pinkfeet_i n_england_final_report_vfinal_jan15_2_pdf_ab653809fbe2d0978f 380bce15e73e316b9c1e97.png

I'm afraid the definition is not good but Sculthorpe is just to the north-west of Fakenham which is located lower centre (two dark parallel dots above unreadable town name). The main Roosts are marked in green. Our house is located just inside the eastern border of the study area.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/560x283/screenshot_2022_09_28_at_20_17_21_ads_b_exchange_tracking_12 684_aircraft_aadc85e95e3943badeb16072e4bd29b5ffdbb6a0.png

This is from ADSB last night. The interesting point is that the flight pattern appears to avoid the areas of roosting delineated in my first image - whether this is on purpose or just a coincidence I know not. There are operating height restrictions over the chain of nature reserves that run almost continuously along the North Norfolk Coast but I don't know whether the military have to abide by these.

[bobward]

Don't forget that there was a tragic collision between an HH60 and a bird a few years ago where al the crew were lost. Maybe avoiding the areas you mention was a lesson well learned.